Misplaced Pages

Malabar spiny dormouse Temporal range: Late Miocene to Recent
Conservation status
Vulnerable  (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Rodentia
Family:	Platacanthomyidae
Genus:	Platacanthomys Blyth, 1859
Species:	P. lasiurus
Binomial name
Platacanthomys lasiurus Blyth, 1859

The Malabar spiny dormouse (Platacanthomys lasiurus) is a species of muroid rodent endemic to the Western Ghats of India. It is the only extant species in the genus Platacanthomys and although resembling a dormouse, it is not closely related. About the size of a brown rat, this arboreal species lives in tree holes in dense forest habitats in a small family group. They are distinguishable from other species in the area by their bushy tuft tip to the tail and the spiny fur on the back.

Description

This rodent is about 5 in long with a 4-in tail. The ears are large and pointed at the tip. The whiskers are numerous and some are very long. The hairy tail is covered with longer hairs towards the end, making the tail wider at the tip. The hairs arise on the sides towards the base of the tail (an arrangement termed as "subdistichous") giving the tail a slightly flattened appearance. The pollux ("thumb") and hallux ("big toe") are without claws. The skull is broad and flat above and the infraorbital foramen is large. They are brownish above and whitish below with a distinct border. The feet are whitish. The tip of the tail is sometimes whitish, but is otherwise like the colour of the back. The fur on the back has scattered broad and flat spiny hairs with white tips. Finer spines are also found on the fur of the underside.

Taxonomy and systematics

The genus name is derived from the flattened (platy-) spines (Greek acantha), while mus refers to a mouse. The species name lasiurus is based on the Greek lasios for hairy and —oura for tail.

The position of this species has been puzzled on from very early times. In 1860, Sclater exhibited a specimen noting it as a new dormouse from the Malabar. As early as 1865, this position was disputed on the basis of the dental formula. Peters (1865) suggested that the species was unrelated to the dormice and suggested that they should be placed with the murine genera of India. This position in the family Muridae was used in The Fauna of British India (1891). Palmer (1897) placed the subfamily Platacanthomyinae within the Gliridae. but Ellerman (1940) placed the genus in the subfamily Platacanthomyinae under the family Muscardinidae. Nowak (1999) places the subfamily within the Muridae and includes the genus Typhlomys in this subfamily. The exact phylogenetic relations of Platacanthomys have not been examined using sequence based approaches although Typhlomys has been confirmed to belong within the Muroid clade.

A fossil from the late Miocene (about 9 Mya) of China has been described as Platacanthomys dianensis.

Distribution

The species is found only in the denser forest regions of the Western Ghats and the Nilgiri hills. They are found in altitudes up to 2000 m (such as at Ootacamund and Coonoor) and are found at very low densities. The northernmost record is from Sagar in Shimoga district of Karnataka. Records are few and scattered and published records are from Aralam, Coorg, Peppara and Karianshola.

The species was however considered to be common when it was first discovered by Reverend H. Baker (from Mundakyam, Allepey). He obtained the first specimens for Edward Blyth and noted that they lived in hole nests in large trees and that they were considered a minor pest of fruit trees and in cardamom and pepper plantations.

Behaviour and ecology

The species is nocturnal and is largely frugivorous. A specimen in captivity fed voraciously on a diet of fruits. When sleeping, it curls its body, hedgehog-like, with its tail protruding. The species is believed to feed on pepper in plantations, but trapping surveys suggest they are mainly restricted to undisturbed forest habitats.

Four young have been noted in one litter.

References

1. Molur, S. & Nameer, P.O. (2008). "Platacanthomys lasiurus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2008. Retrieved 17 March 2009.{{cite iucn}}: old-form url (help)
2. ^ Blanford WT (1891). The Fauna of British India, Including Ceylon and Burma. Mammalia. London: Taylor and Francis. pp. 394–395.
3. ^ Rajagopalan PK (1968). "Notes on the Malabar Spiny Dormouse, Platacanthomys lasiurus Blyth 1859 with new distribution record". J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 65 (1): 214–215.
4. ^ Jayson, E. A.; Jayahari, K. M. (2009). "Distribution of spiny tree mouse (Platacanthomys lasiurus Blyth, 1859) in the Western Ghats of Kerala, India". Mammalia. 73 (4): 331–337. doi:10.1515/MAMM.2009.059. S2CID 84822290.
5. Hunter, R; Charles Morris, eds. (1898). The New National Dictionary, Encyclopaedia and Atlas. Volume 12. Chicago: Belford, Middlebrook & Company. p. 3638.
6. Peters, W (1865). "Note on the systematic position of Platacanthomys lasiurus". Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London: 397–399.
7. Palmer, TS (1897). "A list of the generic and family names of rodents". Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington. 11: 241–270.
8. Ellerman, JR (1940). The families and genera of living rodents. Volume 1. British Museum. p. 37.
9. Nowak, RM (1999). Walker's mammals of the world. Volume 1. Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 1345.
10. Poor, A. (2005). "Platacanthomyidae". Animal Diversity Web. Retrieved 28 May 2011.
11. Jansa, SA; T C Giarla & B K Lim (2009). "The phylogenetic position of the rodent genus Typhlomys and the geographic origin of the Muroidea". Journal of Mammalogy. 90 (5): 1083–1094. doi:10.1644/08-MAMM-A-318.1. S2CID 85424797.
12. Qiu, Z.-D. (1989). "Fossil platacanthomyids from the hominoid locality of Lufeng, Yunnan". Vertebrata PalAsiatica. 27: 268–283.
13. ^ Gray, Charles (1908). "Note on the Malabar spiny mouse (Platacantomys lasiurus)". Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society. 18: 679.
14. ^ Mudappa, D; A Kumar & R. Chellam (2001). "Abundance and habitat selection of the Malabar spiny dormouse in the rainforests of the southern Western Ghats, India" (PDF). Current Science. 80 (3): 424–427.
15. ^ Ryley, Kathleen V (1913). "Mammal survey of India- Report No. 11 Coorg". J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 22 (3): 486–513.
16. Jayson, E.A. & Christopher, G. (1995). "Sighting of spiny dormouse (Platacanthomys lasiurus) Blyth, 1859 in Peppara Wildlife Sanctuary, Trivandrum District, Kerala". Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society. 92 (2): 259.
17. Prabhakar A (1997). "New records of the Malabar spiny dormouse (Platacanthomys lasiurus Blyth) in the Indira Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary, Tamil Nadu". J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 94 (1): 151–152.

Further reading

• Jayson E.A. 2006. Status, distribution, food and feeding of Malabar Spiny Dormouse (Platacanthomys lasiurus Blyth) in the Western Ghats of Kerala. KFRI Research Report No. 293. Kerala Forest Research Institute, Peechi. 118 p.

v t e Myomorpha
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Rodentia
Myomorpha †Anomalomyidae Anomalomys Anomalospalax Prospalax Dipodoidea †Aksyiromys †Banyuesminthus †Elmymys †Primisminthus †Simiacritomys Dipodidae Allactaginae Allactaga Allactodipus Pygeretmus Scarturus Cardiocraniinae Cardiocranius Salpingotulus Salpingotus Dipodinae Dipodini Dipus Eremodipus Jaculus Stylodipus Paradipodini Paradipus Euchoreutinae Euchoreutes †Simimyidae Nonomys Simimys Sminthidae †Allosminthus †Gobiosminthus †Heosminthus †Heterosminthus †Lophocricetus †Macrognathomys †Megasminthus †Miosicista †Paraminthus †Schaubemys †Shamosminthus Sicista †Sinosminthus †Tyrannomys Zapodidae Eozapus †Javazapus Napaeozapus †Pliozapus †Sinozapus †Sminthozapus Zapus Muroidea †Armintomyidae Armintomys Platacanthomyidae †Neocometes Platacanthomys Typhlomys Spalacidae Myospalacinae Eospalax Myospalax †Pliosiphneus Rhizomyinae †Brachyrhizomys Cannomys Rhizomys Tachyoryctes Spalacinae Nannospalax Spalax Eumuroida See below↓
Eumuroida Calomyscidae Calomyscus Cricetidae †Copemys †Eumys †Wilsoneumys Arvicolinae Arvicolini Arvicola †Mimomys Clethrionomyini †Allophaiomys †Altaiomys Alticola †Borsodia Caryomys Clethrionomys Craseomys Eothenomys †Pitymimomys †Prolagurus Dicrostonychini Dicrostonyx †Predicrostonyx Ellobiusini Bramus Ellobius Lagurini Eolagurus Lagurus Lemmini Lemmus Myopus †Plioctomys Synaptomys †Tobienia Microtini Alexandromys Chionomys Hyperacrius Lasiopodomys Lemmiscus Microtus Mictomicrotus Neodon Proedromys Stenocranius Volemys Ondatrini †Cosomys Neofiber †Ogmodontomys Ondatra Pliophenacomyini Arborimus Phenacomys Pliomyini Dinaromys †Pliomys Cricetinae Allocricetulus †Apocricetus Cansumys †Collimys †Cricetinus †Cricetulodon Cricetulus Cricetus Mesocricetus †Neocricetodon Nothocricetulus Phodopus †Rotundomys †Symmetrodontomys Tscherskia Urocricetus †Democricetodontinae Democricetodon Karydomys Spanocricetodon Neotominae †Protorepomys †Tsaphanomys Baiomyini Baiomys Scotinomys Neotomini Hodomys Nelsonia Neotoma Xenomys Ochrotomyini Ochrotomys Reithrodontomyini Habromys Isthmomys Megadontomys Neotomodon Onychomys Osgoodomys Peromyscus Podomys Reithrodontomys Sigmodontinae †Cordimus Juliomys †Megaoryzomys Oryzomyalia Abrotrichini Abrothrix Chlelemys Geoxus Notiomys Akodontini Akodon Bibimys Blarinomys Brucepattersonius Deltamys Juscelinomys Kunsia Lenoxus Necromys Neomicroxus Oxymycterus Podoxymys Scapteromys Thalpomys Thaptomys Ozyzomyini Aegialomys Amphinectomys Cerradomys Drymoreomys Eremoryzomys Euryoryzomys Handleyomys Holochilus Hylaeamys Lundomys †Megalomys Melanomys Microakodontomys Microryzomys Mindomys Neacomys Nectomys Nephelomys Nesoryzomys Noronhomys Oecomys Oligoryzomys Oreoryzomys Oryzomys Pseudoryzomys Scolomys Sigmodontomys Sooretamys Tanyuromys Transandinomys Zygodontomys Phyllotini Andalgalomys Andinomys Auliscomys Calassomys Calomys Chinchillula Eligmodontia Euneomys Galenomys Graomys †Ichthyurodon Irenomys Loxodontomys Neotomys †Olympicomys Phyllotis Punomys Reithrodon Salinomys †Tafimys Tapecomys Thomasomyini Abrawayaomys Aepeomys Chilomys Delomys Phaenomys Rhagomys Rhipidomys Thomasomys Wilfredomys Wiedomyini †Cholomys Wiedomys Sigmodontalia Ichthyomyini Anotomys Chibchanomys Daptomys Ichthyomys Neusticomys Rheomys Sigmodontini †Prosigmodon Sigmodon Tylomyinae Nyctomyini Nyctomys Ototylomys Tylomyini Otonyctomys Tylomys Muridae Deomyinae Acomys Deomys Lophuromys Uranomys Gerbillinae Ammodillus Desmodilliscini Desmodilliscus Pachyuromys Gerbillini Brachiones Dipodillus Gerbillus Meriones Microdillus Psammomys Rhombomys Sekeetamys Gerbillurini Desmodillus Gerbilliscus Gerbillurus Tatera Taterillini Taterillus Leimacomyinae Leimacomys Lophiomyinae Lophiomys Murinae †Alormys †Coryphomys Hadromys †Hoojieromys †Milimonggamys †Rakasamys †Spelaeomys Vernaya Apodemini Apodemus †Rhagamys Tokudaia Arvicanthini Aethomys Arvicanthis †Canariomys Dasymys Dephomys Desmomys Golunda Grammomys Hybomys Lamottemys Lemniscomys †Malpaisomys Micaelamys Mylomys Oenomys †Parapelomys Pelomys Rhabdomys †Saharamys †Saidomys Stochomys Thallomys Thamnomys Typomys Hapalomyini Hapalomys Hydromyini Anisomys Apomys Archboldomys Baiyankamys Brassomys Chiropodomys Chiruromys Chrotomys Coccymys Conilurus Crossomys Haeromys Hydromys Hyomys Leggadina Leporillus Leptomys Lorentzimys Macruromys Mallomys Mastacomys Melomys Mesembriomys Microhydromys Mirzamys Notomys Parahydromys Paraleptomys Paramelomys Pogonomys Protochromys Pseudohydromys Pseudomys Rhynchomys Solomys Soricomys Uromys Xeromys Zyzomys Malacomyini Malacomys Millardini Cremnomys Diomys Madromys Millardia Pithecheir Pithecheirops Murini Mus Otomyini Myotomys Otomys Parotomys Phloeomyini Batomys Carpomys Crateromys Musseromys Phloeomys Praomyini Chingawaemys Colomys Congomys Heimyscus Hylomyscus Mastomys Montemys Myomyscus Nilopegamys Ochromyscus Praomys Serengetimys Stenocephalemys Zelotomys Rattini Abditomys Anonymomys Bandicota Berylmys Bullimus Bunomys Chiromyscus Crunomys Dacnomys Diplothrix Echiothrix Eropeplus Halmaheramys Hyorhinomys Kadarsanomys Komodomys Lenomys Lenothrix Leopoldamys Limnomys Margaretamys Maxomys Melasmothrix Micromys Nesokia Nesoromys Niviventer Papagomys Palawanomys Paruromys Paucidentomys Paulamys Rattus Saxatilomys Sommeromys Srilankamys Sundamys Taeromys Tarsomys Tateomys Tonkinomys Tryphomys Waiomys Vandeleurini Vandeleuria †Pseudocricetodontinae Adelomyarion Cincamyarion Heterocricetodon Latocricetodon Lignitella Kerosinia Oxynocricetodon Pseudocricetodon Nesomyidae Cricetomyinae Beamys Cricetomys Saccostomus Delanymyinae Delanymys Dendromurinae Dendromus Dendroprionomys Malacothrix Megadendromus Prionomys Steatomys Mystromyinae Mystromys Nesomyinae Brachytarsomys Brachyuromys Eliurus Gymnuromys Hypogeomys Macrotarsomys Monticolomys Nesomys Voalavo Petromyscinae Petromyscus

• IUCN Red List vulnerable species
• Oriental dormice
• Rodents of India
• Endemic fauna of the Western Ghats
• Mammals described in 1859
• Taxa named by Edward Blyth